"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand - when I am awake, I am still with you." Psalm 139:13-18
"The word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." "Alas, Sovereign Lord, "I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am too young. "But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am too young.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the Lord." Jeremiah 1:4-9
And the verses go on and on! Are there days you feel down, discouraged, like you don't matter, like your life has no meaning? I know I get those days. Days when the word failure is part of the vocabulary that is standing out in my mind. There are days I have felt lost and discouraged about many aspects of my life. The verses above are very encouraging. A reminder that God is the one that made us the way we are, with our abilities and strengths. People may not come and tell you how precious you are, or how your service or contribution to the world around you is appreciated, or how very helpful you are. In fact, they may never notice you! But God does. God, who knew you before you were formed in your mother's womb, looked at you and was happy with the design he made of you!
I wonder how many people would still love you despite your lack of wealth, failures, faded beauty, and all that. Many people would actually look at what you don't have or what they think you should be and end up putting you down. I say, their opinion remains their opinion...but the one who created you, certainly knew what He was doing and made you just the way he wanted you to be! He knew what you would be good at, what your strengths will be and your weaknesses too! And he accepted and loved you anyway! So what if I am not what people want me to be like! So what if I am not the world's famous beauty queen! So what! God loves us and longs for us to conform to his standards! He sets the rules! :-) His word is our guiding principle, and we should conform to God's standards!
Therefore, live life honoring God - who looks at you and sees a whole lot of preciousness, ability, potential and beauty!
May you be thoroughly blessed in the knowledge of how wide, long, high and deep is the love of God towards you - and all that He has made.
Amen.
